Is Money What Counts?

Driving to Diocesan Synod this morning I was listening to the news and someone said words to the effect that it makes no financial sense to do this (and I can’t remember what “this” was); and there was an implication that the only grounds for making any decision was financial. This shocked me because of that underlying assumption.

I am about to start reading Justin Welby’s book: “Dethroning Mammon“, which looks at this area, but the shock that I felt has made me start thinking about this now!

One of the key elements of the Christian faith for me is that all people are made in the image of God. This then becomes an alternative yardstick when making decisions, because if all decisions are made on financial grounds we can very quickly find ourselves dehumanising people.

For the last 40 years we have bowed down to “the market”and GDP has improved – but are we happier? Probably not according to these figures.

In the Brexit debate I don’t recall the Remainers making arguments that were not essentially financial, whilst the Brexiters did. Whether we liked those non financial arguments or not, perhaps that is why Brexit won! (This is not a comment on the pros and cons of Brexit, but a question about whether a fixation on GDP didn’t speak to many voters).

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Brothers, have no fear of men’s sin. Love a man even in his sin, for that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the highest love on earth. Love all God’s creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love.